potting plants inside tank

[phase]

hey guy.. looking for some help that i wasnt able to find using the search..
im currently building my cham setup and i want to plant 2 plants in a tray. i will be using a schefflera and a ficus bonsia. here is my question- If i was to fill a tray with soil and plant the plants, would the collection of watter in the soil effect the plants? i am planning to have a drain system at the bottom of the tray, so hopefully that will help get some un-needed watter out. but im shure that the soil will still be too moist. should i put some rocks under the soil to help drain the watter?

thanks
-rob

 

[lisa h]

What is the depth of the tray? If you want the plants to grow fairly large (I assume for a Veiled's enclosure), the tray will have to be quite deep. You could put hydro balls under the soil to help absorb some of the water and help with drainage. I only have planted enclosures for pygmies, so I don't know if something like that is recommended for Veileds. Just giving you some input on how you could do it, if that's what you've decided. I think most people leave the plants in pots (I do for my large cham).

 

[dudeking]

I'm actually planning to do something similar, I'd like to know anyone else's experience with this too

I'm considering upping to a 10.0 reptisun tube to ensure the plants get enough light as well... Any word? or are they just toooo much UVB for a panther cham???

I caved and ordered a MistKing starter kit the other day (only$10 shipping till the 18th!), SO NOW I've gotta make everything in my closet jungle properly rainproof (read mould-proof, really...) and fix some nice drainage in too. I honestly can't wait to see my little jungle all raining and such by itself

My plan is to first have a gap between the enclosure floor and the "ground level" of the enclosure - probably a 10-12" separation (under which will be the waste water bin and fresh water reservoir). Probably topped by some galvanized sheet metal of some variety to assemble this elevated "ground floor", which will have a gradient to drain the excess water, river rocks to make it level for me to then lay rectangular plastic bins some ~6" tall filled with soil (and with appropriately sized holes to drain excess water down and out). Then proceed to grow a nice layer of whatever plants I deem appropriate for my little buddy's jungle setting. (and of course according to any toxic plants lists)

I'll be laying down fine mesh to cover this river rock layer to ensure bugs and leaves and anything else that could have the potential of rotting don't flood this between-area to create some nasty bacterial infestation just under the layer of growth...

Lisa's probably right, something like a Schefflera/Ficus that would grow above eye-level would need deeper soil, I may end up burying the schefflera pot IN the soil of the bins and making a kind of hill up to it to make the "ground" a little more seamless...

hope that's helpful?

 

[lisa h]

Dudeking: My plants grow very well with a 5.0 in my large enclosure, and even a 2.0 for my pygmy enclosure. Both are very heavily planted, and the plants are doing amazing.

 

[phase]

What is the depth of the tray? If you want the plants to grow fairly large (I assume for a Veiled's enclosure), the tray will have to be quite deep. You could put hydro balls under the soil to help absorb some of the water and help with drainage. I only have planted enclosures for pygmies, so I don't know if something like that is recommended for Veileds. Just giving you some input on how you could do it, if that's what you've decided. I think most people leave the plants in pots (I do for my large cham).

the depth of the tray is 6inches deep. i am using 1ft tall trees since i will be getting a baby.(i want the trees to grow with the cham.)
here are pics.. so far the plants are still in the pots.

later on (once the cham and plant grow) i will cut the feet and lower the tray as needed to give cham more room and adding more climbing twigs. for now it only using half of a 18x18x36 cage

 

[SliK JiM]

There is a very similar thread going on here: https://www.chameleonforums.com/has-anyone-used-full-planter-bottome-cage-63043/

I posted these 2 links to something I did:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/my-build-guide-everyones-use-38695/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/my-latest-build-progress-40191/

Hope they help! Feel free to ask any questions!

 

[phase]

so i have planted the plants. i used a tray, put mesh on the bottom. then a layer of rocks then the plants with soil, then i put rocks on top.. i have tryed to flood the plants to see if my setup works and it seems to work like a champ.. but time will tell. pics here- https://www.chameleonforums.com/my-custom-tank-stand-63117/#post588258